Metropolitan County Councils Research Articles

Conservative Reform of Metropolitan Counties: Abolition of the GLC and MCCs in Retrospect

This article examines the views of the Conservatives in London local government, and Conservative and Labour councillors outside London, during the abolition of the Greater London Council - (GLC) and the Metropolitan County Councils - (MCCs) in 1985. The official reasons of the Conservative government for the abolition are assessed, as well as the alleged political reasons causing the demise of these metropolitan tiers. It is argued that the views of the Conservative boroughs in London and the attitude of Conservative and Labour districts outside London created an environment in which the government could achieve its goal; the government's official arguments for the abolition were based on assertion and assumptions rather than evidence or competent research; and the government was mainly motivated by partypolitical reasons or partisan advantage in this controversial policy.

Conservative Reform of Metropolitan Counties: Abolition of the GLC and MCCs in Retrospect

This article examines the views of the Conservatives in London local government, and Conservative and Labour councillors outside London, during the abolition of theGreater London Council-(GLC) and the Metropolitan County Councils-(MCCs) in 1985. The official reasons of the Conservative government for the abolition are assessed, as well as the alleged political reasons causing the demise of these metropolitan tiers. It is argued that the views of the Conservative boroughs in London and the attitude of Conservative and Labour districts outside London created an environment in which the government could achieve its goal; the government's official arguments for the abolition were based on assertion and assumptions rather than evidence or competent research; and the government was mainly motivated by partypolitical reasons or partisan advantage in this controversial policy.

Policy Review Section

In this issue of the Policy Review Section, Sue Kidd and Ashok Kumar of the Department of Civic Design, University of Liverpool, examine the speed of plan production in the pre–1986 and post–1986 planning systems in the English metropolitan counties. Abolition of the metropolitan county councils and their associated structure plan process in 1986 was followed by the establishment of a unitary plan-making system in the metropolitan areas, with the new unitary local planning authorities charged with responsibility for producing district-wide unitary development plans combining strategic and local planning concerns. It is a particularly appropriate moment to examine unitary development plan progress in the light of the current review of the structure of local government in the shire counties, which may ultimately lead to a largely unitary local government system and, in turn, the widespread application of the UDP system. In the second contribution to the Policy Review Section, Jamie Peck of the School of Geography, University of Manchester, presents a short polemic on the role of economic forecasting in regional and local economic development. He argues that use of conventional economic forecasting methods over the past decade has reinforced the view that there is “no alternative” to prevailing orthodoxy in economic development practice.

ENGLISH METROPOLITAN GOVERNMENT SINCE ABOLITION: AN EVALUATION OF THE ABOLITION OF THE ENGLISH METROPOLITAN COUNTY COUNCILS

The Local Government Act 1985 abolished the Greater London Council (GLC) and the six English metropolitan county councils (MCCS); but it did not abolish the services for which they were responsible. It transferred them: some directly to the lower‐tier borough or district councils, others to a variety of joint boards, joint committees, residuary bodies, and special purpose agencies. As a result, there are, in at least some of the former MCC areas, many services still operated wholly or partially on a county‐wide basis. The first part of this article compares the contrasting approaches adopted in the six metropolitan areas to the retention or re‐creation of county‐wide services after abolition. The second part attempts to explain these contrasting approaches: why, for instance, significantly more county‐wide institutional arrangements were voluntarily negotiated by the districts in West Yorkshire and Greater Manchester than by those in South Yorkshire and Merseyside.

The operation of the metropolitan passenger transport authorities since 1986

This article reviews the origins and development of the metropolitan county PTAs, and outlines differences in organization which have emerged in the six counties concerned. It explains the major changes which have taken place in the provision of passenger transport since the Transport Act 1985, which deregulated local bus services, and then focuses on the way in which accountability and financial arrangements have operated. This article is based on a wider study into the impact of abolition of the metropolitan county council, which was funded by West Yorkshire County Council and concluded in mid 1989.

THE FINANCIAL IMPACT OF ABOLITION

One argument for metropolitan county council abolition in England was that it would save money, yet detailed studies suggested that it would increase expenditure. After abolition, Government statements emphasised the savings that had resulted. Analysis of expenditure change from 1984/5 to 1987/8 shows that rate and grant-borne expenditure on transferred services increased by four percent over the four-year period, compared with nine percent for all metropolitan county council, district council and precepting authority services. Some increases are directly attributable to diseconomies of scale caused by abolition, while others reflect local political choices which have become possible. Expenditure reductions are also evident in some areas.

Impact of the abolition of the metropolitan county councils

(1990). Impact of the abolition of the metropolitan county councils. Local Government Studies: Vol. 16, Impact of the Abolition of Metropolitan County Councils, pp. 1-11.

Political Centralization and State Interests in Britain

This article addresses contemporary state theory by examining the role of state interests and the constraints upon state autonomy in recent central-metropolitan relations in Britain. The abolition of the Greater London Council and six Metropolitan County Councils in Britain in 1986 is analyzed by reference to liberal, Marxist, and statist propositions about state autonomy and state interests. Three versions of the statist perspective are delineated, and it is argued that an understanding of central state interests is necessary for a complete account of the 1986 abolition.

The local government act 1985 and the archive services of the greater London council and the metropolitan county councils

(1988). The local government act 1985 and the archive services of the greater London council and the metropolitan county councils. Journal of the Society of Archivists: Vol. 9, No. 3, pp. 119-147.

Local government information services

I would like to begin by taking a general look at the official publications of local authorities, not only at what they are, but also at who uses them and what they are actually used for. In addition, I would like to try to make a rough assessment of the recent attempts to increase access to them, particularly emphasising the positive improvements that have taken place over recent years — and also to try to identify the shortcomings that remain. In examining the changing patterns of the publication of information recently, we should not only look at developments such as the Access to Information Act and the abolition of the Metropolitan County Councils, but also take a wider view, examining, for instance, whether increasing emphasis on value for money techniques in individual local authorities and the aim for objective decision making has altered the information and documentary requirements of local government and the value placed on them. Finally, and most centrally, I would like to look at the existing role played by local government information services in this area, and perhaps speculate on what can be achieved in the future. I would like to approach this by making a number of key points and then, hopefully, we can discuss those you feel of most value. My contribution has the broad title ‘Local government information services’. David Mort of the Centre for Local Economic Strategies will take a look at the information services provided by outside organisations for local authorities. The distinction between our contributions is, I hope, fairly clear and I will attempt to restrict myself to discussing the information services provided by individual local authorities while David will look at the wider scene. There is, of course, a grey area of information services which do not fall exactly within the boundaries of this definition and I will very briefly mention a number of these later, but first it might be useful to begin by having a very brief word about our sponsors. This seminar is a joint venture by the Aslib Planning Environment and Transport Information Group (PETIG) and the Standing Committee on Official Publications (SCOOP). SCOOP was formally set up at the beginning of 1983 and is a direct descendant of the Library Association/HMSO Services Working Party which was established in 1971. It might be helpful if I briefly summarise a number of the formal arrangements under which SCOOP operates in order to set the context for my contribution. The Committee's principal aims relate to UK national and local government official publications and these are to improve access and availability to such documents, to identify and propose solutions to problems of access and to provide mechanisms for the exchange of views between members of the library community on matters of common interest concerning UK official publications.

Book reviews

Her Majesty's Inspectorate of Schools D. Lawton and P. Gordon, Routledge & Kegan Paul, 1987, pp.x+180, £14.95 (hardback). What's Wrong With Walking? A Consumer Review of the Pedestrian Environment, National Consumer Council, HMSO, March 1987, pp.151, £4.95. Pedestrians. An Action Guide to Your Neighbourhood Problems, National Consumer Council, March 1987, pp.88, £3.00. Property and Industrial Development, S. Fothergill, S. Monk and M. Perry, Hutchinson, 1987, pp.187, £12.95 (paperback). Whatever Happened to Planning?, Peter Ambrose, Methuen, 1986, pp.288, £8.95 (paperback). Decentralization and Democracy, Paul Hoggett and Robin Hambleton (eds), Occasional Paper no.28, University of Bristol, School for Advanced Urban Studies, 1987, pp.269, £6.95. Achieving Economy, Efficiency and Effectiveness in the Public Sector, Cyril R. Tomkins, Institute of Chartered Accountants of Scotland, 1987, pp.115, £5.00 (paperback). Managing to Survive: Running Local Authority Services under Competition, Norman Flynn and Kieron Walsh, Association of Direct Labour Organizations, 1986, pp.53, £5.00 (paperback). Basic Planning Law and Practice, College of Law, 1987, pp.131, £7.50. Current Problems in Planning, College of Law, 1987, pp.83, £6.50. After Abolition: A report on the impact of abolition of the Metropolitan County Councils and the Greater London Council on the voluntary sector ‐ and the outlook for the future, National Council for Voluntary Organizations, pp.137, January 1987, £2 for voluntary organizations, £5 others.

Book reviews

Cross on Local Government Law, 7th edn, Charles Cross and Stephen Bailey, Sweet & Maxwell, 1986, pp. xcii + 666, £18.95 paperback. The Changing Government of Education, S. Ranson and J. Tomlinson (eds), Allen and Unwin, 1986, pp. 236, £25.00 hb., £9.95pb. Disabled People in the Community: A study of Housing, Health and Welfare Services, Anne Borsay, Occasional Papers on Social Administration 80, Bedford Square Press, 1986, pp. 263, £9.50. The London Employment Problem, Nick Buck, Ian Gordon and Ken Young with John Ermisch and Liz Mills, Clarendon Press, 1986, pp. 213, £7.95 Sunbelt City? A Study of Economic Change in Britain's M4 Growth Corridor, Martin Boddy, John hovering and Keith Basset, Clarendon Press, 1986, pp. 235, £7.95 The City in Transition: Policies and Agencies for the Economic Regeneration of Clydeside, William Lever and Chris Moore, Clarendon Press, 1986, pp. 173, £7.95 Sheffield Jobs Audit, Sheffield City Council Department of Employment and Economic Development, 1985, pp. 264. Promoting Local Authorities in the European Community, Colin Mellors (ed.), European Information Service, Occasional Paper 1/86, IULA/CEMR British Sections, 1986, pp. 71. The Development Commission's Rural Industrial Development Programme: A Review of Progress 1945 ‐ 1985, Chris Minay, Working Paper No 87, Oxford Polytechnic Department of Town Planning, pp. 67, no price stated. An Unreasonable Act? Central‐Local Government Conflict and the Housing Act 1980, Ray Forrest and Alan Murie, SAUS Study No. 1, 1985, £5.95. Local Economic Initiatives Study (Research Supervisor, John Mawson); City of Bradford Metropolitan Council (Research Memorandum 97, 1984, pp. 53, £3.50); West Yorkshire Metropolitan County Council (Research Memorandum 98, 1985, pp. 52, £3.50); Leeds City Council (Research Memorandum 101, 1985, pp. 58, £3.60); Manchester City Council (Research Memorandum 102, 1985, pp. 31, £3.20); Greater London County Council (Research Memorandum 103, 1985, pp. 123, £8.40); Sheffield City Council (Research Memorandum 106, 1986, pp. 38, £3.20). Evaluation of Management Advisory Service and Performance Review Trials in the NHS. A Report prepared for King Edward's Hospital Fund for London by a team from the Faculty of Social Sciences, Brunei University, led by Professor Maurice Kogan. King Edward's Hospital Fund for London, 1985, pp. 245, £5.00 (available from King's Fund Publishing Office, 126 Albert Street, London NW1 7NF).

The West Yorkshire Archive Service

THEWESTYORKSHIRE ARCHIVE SERVICEcame together as a joint service in April 1982. It was formed jointly by the West Yorkshire Metropolitan County Council and the Metropolitan District Councils of Bradford, Kirklees, Leeds, and Wakefield. In April 1983 Calderdale Metropolitan District completed the District Council representation. The establishment of the joint service was the culmination of eight years of discussion and negotiation between the local authorities in West Yorkshire, the progress of which is described fully by Mrs Elizabeth Berry, the first Archivist to the Joint Committee, in a forthcoming article. 1It represented a considerable milestone in the improvement of services to both owners and users of documents and enabled the long process of equalization of provision for archives throughout the county to begin. From 1982 to 1986 the West Yorkshire Archive Service was administered on behalf of the West Yorkshire Archive Joint Committee by West Yorkshire Metropolitan County Council, which contributed over fifty per cent of the revenue and paid for all development, the five Metropolitan District Councils contributing their existing archive budgets. The service has always been decentralized. The headquarters are in the former West Riding Registry of Deeds building in Wakefield. From 1974 to 1982 this was the West Yorkshire County Record Office, set up by West Yorkshire County Council on its formation as statutory archive authority for the new county. 2 (The former West Riding County Council had been one of the few counties in England not to establish a county record office.) In 1976the West Yorkshire County Council entered into an agreement with the Yorkshire Archaeological Society, a large county society founded in 1863 and having its own headquarters in Clarendon Road, Leeds which house a considerable library and important collections of archives for all parts of historic Yorkshire. Under this agreement the County Council supplied an archivist and clerical assistant to run the Society's archives. The Society's premises now include one of the six

Regional fulfilment: Planning into administration in the Clyde Valley 1944–84

Clydeside has been a distinctive case of British regional planning and administration since 1944. With the abolition of the English Metropolitan County Councils in 1986, it became unique. Clydeside's experience has been associated with special Scottish political circumstances, protecting the idea of regional planning which Scottish interests harnessed to bargain for favours in government resources. The Clyde Valley Plan of 1946, West Central Scotland Plan of 1974 and Strathclyde Regional Council of 1975, reflected evolving ideas of the Clydeside region, of planning and administration. The performance and strategic influence of the two advisory Plans is compared with experience under the succeeding Regional Council. Against the successful long‐term achievement of the Clyde Valley Plan's proposals and its significant influence on Scottish public affairs, its historic dispute with Glasgow over the role of the new towns is re‐examined in the light of present circumstances. It is suggested that the unforeseen ...

Abolition or reform? The GLC and the Metropolitan County Councils

Abolition or reform? The GLC and the Metropolitan County Councils

British Politics

P. Cosgrave, Thatcher: the First Term (London, The Bodley Head, 1985) A. King (ed.), The British Prime Minister (second edition) (London, Macmillan, 1985) A. Ranney (ed.) Britain at the Polls 1983 (Durham, N.C., Duke University Press, 1985) D. S. Bell (ed.), The Conservative Government 1979–84: an Interim Report (London, Croom Helm, 1985 S. Fothergill and J. Vincent, The State of the Nation (London, Pan, 1985 Philip Norton (ed.), Parliament in the 1980s (Oxford, Basil Blackwell, 1985 Leo Pliatzky, Paying and Choosing: the Intelligent Person's Guide to the Mixed Economy (Oxford, Basil Blackwell, 1985) John Grieve Smith (ed.) Strategic Planning in Nationalised Industries (London, Macmillan, 1984) E. Durbin, New Jerusalem (London, Routledge & Kegan Paul, 1985) Geofrey Foote, The Labour Party's Political Thought (London, Croom Helm, 1985) D. Selbourne, Against Socialist Illusion: a Radical Argument (London, Macmillan, 1985) J. Grigg, Lloyd George—From Peace to War(London, Methuen, 1985) David Dutton, Austen Chamberlain: Gentleman in Politics (Bolton, Ross Anderson Publications 1985) Norman Flynn, Steve Leach and Carol Vielba, Abolition or Reform? The GLCand the Metropolitan County Councils (London, George Allen & Unwin, 1985)

The abolition of the Greater London Council and the Metropolitan County Councils

The Local Government Act 1985 provided for the abolition of the Greater London Council and the six Metropolitan County Councils on 1st April, 1986. The Act deals with the transfer of those functions currently exercised by the Greater London Council and the Metropolitan County Councils to existing authorities namely the Local Council of each London Borough and Metropolitan District.

National economic forecasting at local level: Applications of the Cambridge model in the West Midlands

The pioneering local economic strategies developed by the GLC and Metropolitan County Councils prior to their abolition in March 1986 frequently drew upon comprehensive research and analysis. The West Midlands County Council was the only local authority using forecasts derived from a national economic model as an input to research for local economic development. This article discusses the West Midlands' experience in using forecasts derived from Cambridge Econometrics' model of the UK economy for sectoral analysis, strategic land-use planning and evaluation of the regional impact of national economic policies.

Policies towards suburban rail services in Britain and the federal republic of Germany — a comparison

Abstract This paper compares the major role played by suburban rail (S‐Bahn) systems in West German cities with the much more limited role of rail in the British conurbations. Clearly, the difference owes much to the institutional and financial arrangements in the two countries. In West Germany, large amounts of earmarked funds have been available for rail investment, whilst the Federal government has been willing to shoulder much of the burden of operating subsidies. The Verkehrsverbund has emerged as a highly effective way of coordinating fares and services without direct ownership of any mode of transport. By contrast in Britain funds for rail investment have been much more limited. Progress with integration has been far slower, and is threatened by current government policies regarding both bus deregulation and the abolition of the Metropolitan county councils. Whilst rail is firmly established in German cities, its future in Britain looks bleak.

The Conditions of Joint Action

THE WHITE PAPER on Streamlining the Cities creates a new need for joint action by local authorities. 1 The need arises from a basic tension in the Government proposals. The Government proposes the abolition of the Greater London Council (GLC) and the metropolitan county councils, while still recognising Greater London and the metropolitan counties as governmental areas, with functions requiring to be governed over wider areas than individual London boroughs or metropolitan districts. It could be argued that the dilemma of the Government arises because it is proposing the abolition of metropolitan government while still believing in it. Thus, if the Government really believed that the London boroughs or the metropolitan districts could carry out the functions of metropolitan government, the need for joint action on the scale proposed would disappear. The issue arises more clearly in the metropolitan counties, where three major functions (police, fire, public transport) representing 70 per cent of the expenditure of those authorities are judged to require joint action at the metropolitan level. The issue does not arise so sharply in the case of the GLC, because the metropolitan police are not under local government control and the Government are removing London passenger transport from any form of local government control. The issue does however arise in Inner London for education and in Greater London for the fire service and for a range of other issues judged to require consideration or action at that level. Joint action can be required for the government of a function, as with education or the fire service. Joint action can be required to provide some facility necessary for one or more functions, as with the creation of a joint purchasing facility. The major issues arise normally in relation to the former rather than the latter, and it is on the government of functions, rather than the provision of means for the function, that this article, like the White Paper, concentrates.